The Climate Change Unit within the Taraba State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is set to be elevated to the status of a department. Hajia Aishat Barde, the Commissioner of Environment and Climate Change for the state, revealed this information to EnviroNews on Monday, August 7, 2023.

She further elaborated that the newly established Department of Climate Change would consist of divisions focused on Adaptation, Mitigation, and Vulnerability.

Hajia Barde, who took her oath of office on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, during a ceremony overseen by Governor Agbu Kefas, shared insights into her strategies for bringing about change within the state. She expressed her intention to raise awareness among the people of Taraba State regarding the effects, causes, and risks associated with climate change.
Her plans involve conducting awareness campaigns and organizing workshops, specifically targeting the three branches of government and clarifying their respective roles and responsibilities.

Barde emphasized her aim to engage both youths, recognized as potent catalysts for change, and women, who are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, in initiatives like afforestation and other climate-related endeavors throughout the state.

Barde's career commenced in the Department of Climate Change within the Federal Ministry of Environment. She was subsequently transferred to the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), a Presidential council vested with supreme authority for integrating climate change matters in Nigeria. In addition to being a geologist, Barde is an environmentalist, climate change advocate, gender activist, and expert in greenhouse gas management.